"Princess Qingping has been waiting for this day for a long time, so don't let her down."

The emperor smiled and looked at Lin Tingwan, who was standing beside Shen Huaixu.

Lin Tingwan was wearing an apricot-colored gauze dress today, and a gold hairpin in her hair swayed gently as she raised her head.

Her cheeks flushed crimson, her eyes shimmering: "Your Majesty..."

Her voice was so sweet it could drip water, yet her fingertips were tightly twisting the handkerchief.

Shen Jintang saw the perfect curve of Shen Huaixu's lips, but his eyes, which were always gentle and refined, were now unfathomable.

He didn't like the marriage.

Shen Jintang noticed it at a glance.

Having worked with Shen Huaixu in Yanzhou for many days, Shen Jintang certainly had this kind of insight.

As for the reason, Shen Jintang couldn't guess for the time being.

However, she was curious about Shen Huaixu's plans afterward: would he break off the engagement or accept it?

Just as I was thinking about it, the topic suddenly turned to myself.

"Jin Tang knows my heart best, so how about I leave the marriage arrangements to you?"

The emperor stroked his beard and smiled, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Shen Jintang's heart skipped a beat. Had they not received a reply from Shen Huaixu and were trying to use her as a stepping stone?

She subconsciously looked at Shen Huaixu.

Shen Huaixu stood beside the emperor, his pale white robe making him appear even thinner.

He wore a perfectly measured smile, but his usually gentle and refined eyes were now unfathomable, like whirlpools hidden beneath a calm lake.

Lin Tingwan stood beside him, her pale yellow gauze dress making her skin appear as white as snow.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes shone with undisguised joy.

Her slender fingers twisted the embroidered handkerchief, and she would steal glances at Shen Huaixu every now and then before quickly lowering her head, but the corners of her lips couldn't help but turn up.

"Brother Huaixu, what do you think?"

She called softly, her voice so sweet it could melt honey, her eyes full of anticipation.

The hall was so quiet that the dripping of the water clock could be heard.

Shen Jintang saw Shen Huaixu's fingers, which were hanging by his side, curl slightly and then slowly relax.

He remained silent for a moment, then finally raised his eyes and smiled gently, his warm voice as usual: "If Tingwan likes it, then let's arrange it this way."

But Chen Jintang clearly saw a barely perceptible trace of weariness flash in his eyes when he said those words.

He had the same expression on his face when he was forced to do those dirty things for Grand Tutor Shen.

Lin Tingwan then turned her gaze to Shen Jintang. Seeing that Shen Jintang did not speak, she immediately stood up, her skirt rippling like waves.

She affectionately took Shen Jintang's arm: "There were some misunderstandings between us before, but that's all in the past. Jintang won't hold it against me, right?"

Lin Tingwan was referring to the incident where Grand Tutor Shen threatened to kill himself. She thought Shen Jintang was going against Shen Huaixu, and after hearing some gossip from Shen's cousins, she immediately regarded Shen Jintang as an enemy.

That's why he said so many unpleasant things.

However, after this disaster relief effort, she has learned the whole story.

Shen Jintang is the illegitimate daughter of Grand Tutor Shen, and she already harbors resentment towards him, so naturally she won't let him have an easy time.

Furthermore, Shen Jintang and Shen Huaixu are not actually cousins, but siblings, so she has nothing to worry about.

"Princess, what are you saying? How could we have ever had any animosity towards each other?" Shen Jintang naturally knew how to say some polite words.

"Then Jintang will definitely make this wedding a grand and glorious affair for us, right?" Lin Tingwan asked.

"Cough cough!"

Gu Zhixing suddenly coughed lightly.

He took a half-step forward, seemingly unintentionally, which just separated Lin Tingwan and Shen Jintang.

Shen Jintang snapped out of her daze and looked up at Gu Zhixing again.

The jade crown that held his hair up today gleamed warmly in the candlelight, making his features appear exceptionally clear and bright.

"Tuizhi, what do you mean by this?" The emperor's smile faded slightly. "Princess Qingping is of noble birth and is a perfect match for Huaixu."

"Now that Tang is serving as the Director of the Imperial Secretariat, she is extremely familiar with palace etiquette and is also Huai Xu's younger sister. I am very relieved to entrust this marriage to her."

"Oh!" Gu Zhixing drawled, frowning, and started acting like a rogue in public, "Uncle, you may be happy with what you're saying, but I'm not."

His words caused an uproar in the room.

Lin Tingwan's eyes widened, and even Shen Huaixu raised an eyebrow slightly.

The emperor was so angry that his beard twitched: "You scoundrel, what nonsense are you spouting!"

“To be honest,” Gu Zhixing leaned against Shen Jintang with a straight face. “You just agreed to let Jintang and me rest for a few days the other day, and it hasn’t even been three days yet, and you want her to arrange the wedding again?”

He reached out to gently protect Shen Jintang's waist, his voice suddenly softening, "Her injuries haven't fully healed yet..."

Shen Jintang felt a heat rise to her ears and quietly tugged at his sleeve.

What exactly is this person trying to do? Why is he blurting out everything?!

The emperor slammed his fist on the table in anger: "Nonsense! Qingping's marriage is of utmost importance, you..."

"It's important, it's important. Whose business isn't important?" Gu Zhixing pouted. "Last month, Jin Tang stayed up for seven nights in a row to revise the palace rules, and now she's all bruised and battered like she's been beaten up. A few days ago, she was so busy with the disaster relief grain registers that she didn't even have time to rest. Have you forgotten all that?"

He became more and more aggrieved as he spoke, like a child who hadn't gotten any candy: "Now she has to handle the wedding arrangements? Those dowry lists, guest lists, every single one of them is a hassle! I can't bear to do that!"

The hall was completely silent.

Lin Tingwan's face turned pale and then red, and she almost wrung out the handkerchief in her hand.

The emperor pointed at him, trembling: "You...you..."

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